May 26, 2011

"... Palin will also be stopping at other spots of symbolic national significance on the East Coast, including the Civil War battlefields at Gettysburg and Antietam, and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.... In addition to the tour, Palin’s camp recently announced a two-hour promotional film about the former governor set to premiere in Iowa next month."

ADDED: That film — according to the Guardian — "will present her as a Joan of Arc-like figure beset at every turn by vicious leftwing enemies seeking to thwart her ambition of reviving the conservative legacy of Ronald Reagan." Somehow I doubt that the film actually mentions Joan of Arc. If not, the linked article has quite a deceptive headline: "Sarah Palin likened to Joan of Arc in two-hour documentary film." The title of the movie is "The Undefeated," which sounds more like the title of an American western than any reference to Joan of Arc. But the British website comes up with Joan of Arc, who was not undefeated. She was captured, purchased by the British and then tried — unfairly — and executed — brutally — by the British.

The "buzz" I heard was that her "two hour promotional flim" was quite a bit of clips of people being truly horrific about her.

So many people have said that the pure hatred and vile remarks directed her way make her unelectable. I've said that the more vileness directed at her, the more normal people will be inclined to disregard *any* criticism as hateful spewing.

No kidding! Gallup has her at 15% to Romney's 17%. If you leave Sarah out, Romney gets 17%, Newt gets 12% (up from 9%), and Ron Paul gets 12% (up from 10%). My interpretation is that she's drawing from a pretty wide base of support.

By the way, Obama's approval rating is up to 52% (40% disapprove). Scott Walkers? 43% (according to the only poll I could find).

She's here, and she's attacking Obama with a high level of charisma and intelligence. Deal with it. Mitt is as popular as he is going to get. It is either Sarah or Pawlenty. Last time the pick went to the most exciting one of those two for the VP slot. Stay tuned.

The "buzz" I heard was that her "two hour promotional flim" was quite a bit of clips of people being truly horrific about her.

So many people have said that the pure hatred and vile remarks directed her way make her unelectable. I've said that the more vileness directed at her, the more normal people will be inclined to disregard *any* criticism as hateful spewing.

Heh. I don't think she is running, partly because I just refuse to believe that if you are the sitting governor of a state and you decide you might want to run for president you quit that job halfway through (or for all the ticky folks out there, you "resign") to write a book and do some speeches. I'm sorry, that just doesn't seem like the road any serious candidate would take.

I think she just wants to be popular enough to have some say in chosing a good candidate but I guess we'll see.

I think it's very fortunate for her that she has all this free time on her hands (meaning: doesn't have a job), and can just wander around the country. She's turned into a quite successful self-promoted celebrity. Can a line of perfume (Sarah's Scent) be far behind? I think I'd be more impressed if she was actually doing something. Liking helping to rebuild New Orleans, or building levies on the Mississippi, or doing disaster relief in Joplin. I guess I'm tired of people just wandering around "talking" about what America needs, while never actually doing anything. She could become a school teacher. That might be a nice start.

So many people have said that the pure hatred and vile remarks directed her way make her unelectable. I've said that the more vileness directed at her, the more normal people will be inclined to disregard *any* criticism as hateful spewing.

It's only the effect that this has on true swing voters that is going to matter. I would be wary of any approach that smacks of having a pity party.

I think she just wants to be popular enough to have some say in chosing a good candidate but I guess we'll see.

That would definitely be the smart play. She is well-situated to be a power broker in the party (she's popular with the base) but incredibly poorly situated to win national office (swing voters hate her).

She can either be a major player in guiding the direction of the Republican Party, or she can be the has-been political joke that won Obama a second term in office. Those are pretty much the options.

My curiosity level is aroused to see how the Media arm of the Obama Campaign handles Palin's publicity? Since February there has been no mention of Palin as a candidate or as anything else. The word seems to have gone out to cut off free publicity that their attacks of the week were giving her. No news, nada. How long can they keep that up??

"Hateful spewing works. Look at how the Democrats have already crushed Paul Ryan."

How long can it work before voters become disgusted with those that spew? Sure, we political junkies (and I have it rather mild, compared to some) get in the middle of it with fists and elbows but the people who win elections aren't the political junkies, they aren't the "choir."

Take a clip of someone being truly vile (and there are no shortage of them) and someone not already on-board will wonder if there is basis for it, will have to decide if there is basis for it. They *won't* have to wonder about the person being hateful. The proof is right there in front of them.

If she does intend to run, it seems to reason that she has developed a strategy to silence the personal attacks and stay focused on the issues. That's the biggest curiosity factor for me. A few days ago, she admonished conservatives to brace against the unfair treatment at the hands of the MSM. I assume that she's about to show us what she means.

I don't think I have double-standards. We're just not talking about Obama right now, in this thread. Sarah reminds me of people I've seen in both parties, in all parties. And also in many other professions. People who are so driven to get to the top, that they are not willing to do any of the intermediate steps or jobs enroute to the top. They hear some kind of divine calling that they belong at the top, and only at the top. And they don't want to do any of the hard work that is required by normal career progression. They want to go straight to the top, and manage and supervise. Have you ever known people like that? I see them all over. The trouble is that when people like this get to the top, quickly, they usually are horrendous managers. They have no conception of what work is being done, or of how to do it. And they usually make disastrous decisions that end up affecting the lives of people all around them.

I hope Palin does run. Whether or not she wins, she's the only potential candidate who can and does go after Obama without reservation.

The white guys can't do it. They'll be strung up as "racists" by the media.

I know, on a small scale, what it's like to be in the whirlwind of public life, and to deal with assholes who hate you even though they really know nothing about you other than what they read in the papers. So, I won't presume to give Palin advice.

If she's got the stomach for the abuse, and she can protect her family from the vultures, I hope she goes for it.

The trouble is that when people like this get to the top, quickly, they usually are horrendous managers.

she's the only potential candidate who can and does go after Obama without reservation

I'd love to see Palin run as VP again (although I doubt she would). She can focus on verbal fisticuffs while Paul Ryan (for example) focuses on getting the presidential campaign message out there.

I don't think a single candidate can beat Obama. I think it'll take a dream team combo, and I really can't think of anyone better suited for a strategic VP than Palin. It's almost like she's been practicing for that role ever since the last time she tried for it.

She'd sorta be the pivot to the presidential candidate's jammer, if you know roller derby at all. (A sports metaphor felt appropriate, but derby's the only one I really know.)

Sarah Palin wasn't ready for prime time. That Katie Couric interview sunk her. I don't think she's stupid, and I don't think she doesn't read newspapers, but she isn't good at pretending to know what she is talking about.

Granny is not Kobe Bryant. Why the hell should we pay for a knee replacement for her? It's tough to get old, and I feel bad, but we're bankrupting ourselves to pay for our elderly. Doesn't any of them use a cane anymore?

I hope Palin does run. Whether or not she wins, she's the only potential candidate who can and does go after Obama without reservation.

"Whether or not she wins"?

What the heck is the point of "going after" Obama and losing? Do you want to save this country from his mismanagement, or do you just want to be able to smugly say "I told you so" while the economy circles the drain?

What the heck is the point of "going after" Obama and losing? Do you want to save this country from his mismanagement, or do you just want to be able to smugly say "I told you so" while the economy circles the drain?

I actually meant whether or not she runs, but the Freudian slip is subject to interpretation.

"Do you want to save this country from his mismanagement, or do you just want to be able to smugly say "I told you so" while the economy circles the drain?"

See. Right there. That's the issue that noone is willing to really look at. The economy is going to circle the drain regardless of wins in 2012. We can sit here and bicker and argue over who did what to whom until the cows come home. But, the facts are our leadership has a plan, and you and I are not in on what that plan is. This is what democracy looks like after 230 years. No matter who gets in in 2012, tha great game is going to continue. Insider trading by 535 people. Kick backs. Special deals. The children of the elites going to the "right" schools, being let in on "the plan." I have lost all confidence in this once great Republic. I've seen first hand how the banana republics and african warlord economies have worked for the last half century. The banana republics are looking like they have more respect for the rule of law and their constitutional prcesses than Mercah does.

Great civilizations do not dissappear, they devolve. Welcome to the devolution. We need to get up and go to work. We need to educate our kids and grand kids. We need to plan for the future. But, let there be no doubt, Mercuh will not be the Mercuh we know, either culturally, nor geographically, in another 100 years. As a collective, we've learned to vote ourselves the benefits provided by others. This will not change, yet it will not stand, either.

Rome is still Rome, it's just not Rome anymore.

WV: stroff (wtf?)

He was escorted of the plane for stroffing in mid flight; medical authorities say damage is minimal.

I think Sarah Palin was unfairly treated by the media...but I am getting kind of weary of the eternal victim stuff. It is always the same thing..they are mean to me..they are not fair to me...they pick on me...watch my TV show...buy my book...

You, Fred4Pres and me should rent out the Furthur bus this summer. Good times!

5/26/11 4:20 PM

You sparked a memory. One time I went dove hunting in Egypt. I sat on the roof of a old Range Rover with a shotgun while an Egyptian guy drove me and my friend up and down the orange orchards. We had an eight year old kid in the back who ran out and picked up the dead doves. He would clean them as we went. We got around 50.

We went back and the old Egyptain guys were drinking scotch we gave them. We roasted the birds on sticks (they were delicious). One old guy (he was in his 80s), very drunk, took a shotgun and starting shooting pigeons and doves flying over head. They started landing in an area less than a meter circle at his feet. So not only was he hitting these birds, he was hitting them with a lead so they landed where he intended. He got about a dozen before he stopped.

It was the best shotgun shooting I have ever seen. He told us that he learned to shoot as a boy, shining shoes for the Scottish troops stationed on the Suez Canal. They would take him out and show him how to shoot.

That film — according to the Guardian — "will present her as a Joan of Arc-like figure beset at every turn by vicious leftwing enemies seeking to thwart her ambition of reviving the conservative legacy of Ronald Reagan.

The problem, VanderDouchen, isn't that our political class is unresponsive to ordinary Americans and obsessed with cutting themselves special deals. Our political class has been like that since the republic was founded; hell, they've been like that going all the way back to prehistory.

The problem is twofold:

(a): Most Americans believe there IS such a thing as a free lunch.

(b): Our political class is TOO responsive to ordinary Americans, and thus are willing to happily steer the country down the road to ruin in order to appease us.

The truth is that most Americans -- including most of the Republicans who claim to support financial and economic conservatism -- want the earth, the moon and the stars handed to them on a silver plate, and they want someone else to pay for it. The other truth is that there is no "someone else" who CAN pay for it.

So when someone says "we have to cut spending, because we can't afford it" you hear non-responses like "but we can't skimp on defense" and "we can't skimp on medical care" and "we can't skimp on protecting the elderly".

No.

What they mean is "but we don't WANT to skimp on those things". We absolutely can and will skimp on them, because the laws of economics do not care about our delicate sensibilities. We cannot live forever on the proceeds of borrowing, inflation, and stealing other peoples' money. The longer we try, the worse it will hurt when we stop.

Apparently Sarah Palin was nicknamed "Barracuda" during her teen years playing sports in college. Seriously - how badly must she have reeked of fish to get a name like that? Jeez - I'd have scrubbed my whoopsie with bleach-soaked sandpaper every day after that travesty.

Heh. I don't think she is running, partly because I just refuse to believe that if you are the sitting governor of a state and you decide you might want to run for president you quit that job halfway through (or for all the ticky folks out there, you "resign") to write a book and do some speeches. I'm sorry, that just doesn't seem like the road any serious candidate would take.

There's no shortage of elected officials who bailed out of one office for another. Recent "quitters" include:

That was a great hunting story, and from Egypt at that. Do you know that some people don't hunt, but merely look for road kill?

5/26/11 5:47 PM

Thanks AllenS.

I do know that. Been there. Done that. I was driving down the road in Egypt (lined with big eucalytus trees) in a Chevy pick up in the morning. By accident, I hit a flock of ring neck doves with the windsheild and most of them bounced into the bed of the truck. I drove on till I came to a rotissary chicken stand I used to eat at. Dropped the doves off (there were about six of them). Later that day at lunch the doves were grilled and served to me and a few friends. With whole wheat fresh pita and tahini. They were really delicious.

It is more of a 'it comes down to the terrible President or I, it is time to choose'

But most Americans don't think Obama is a terrible President.

Of course, he IS a terrible President, so it is at least theoretically possible to change their minds about that. But when choosing someone to take on that challenge, how smart is it to pick one of the few Republicans in America whose name is synonymous, in the minds of unaffiliated voters, with "clueless twit"?

No. I'm saying going to sites like those to kick off a campaign is painfully transparent. There's truth and then there's perception. Which do you suppose wins more elections?

Perception by a knock-out.

"Voters" is just another word for "romantics".

The last time I saw Richard was Detroit in '68 And he told me all romantics meet the same fate someday Cynical and drunk and boring someone in some dark café You laugh he said you think you're immune Go look at your eyes they're full of moon You like roses and kisses and pretty men to tell you All those pretty lies pretty lies When you gonna realize they're only pretty lies Only pretty lies just pretty lies

I've now read almost all these posts and, like I said, 95% of them are nothing more than conventional thinking:

I cant remember when was the last time a loosing party VP nominee got the nomination the next time around.

Who cares?

Romney will get the nomination. It is his turn after all.

Romney doesn't have a turn. He hasn't earned it.

I just refuse to believe that if you are the sitting governor of a state and you decide you might want to run for president you quit that job halfway through (or for all the ticky folks out there, you "resign") to write a book and do some speeches.

It's never been done - it doesn't get any more conventional than this.

I could go on, but the truth is, none of you are dealing with the woman, or the situation, right before your eyes:

Sarah Palin ain't no Mondale and, if you think the "Barracuda" is going to stop, then you're a meal for her.

The media attack on her is unprecedented, but this communications major is manipulating it, rather than the other way around. (Synova sees that.)

The film will clear up the lies (She was right in her interviews with Couric and Gibson, but - surprise - the media feels no need to correct the imagery the slower of you bought hook-line-and-sinker.) Don't blame Sarah Palin because you're stupid.

While I think Sarah Palin could potentially win the nomination (there is no way that is a given because there are too many variables when you run for office like this), was definitely maligned by the media, and is a lot more competent than people give her credit for, I do not have the same faith in her ability to win the ring as Crack does.

But if she did win, I would relish it. And I agree she is a competitor.

Mad as Hell...I know Herman Cain well. He was in a very serious cancer fight 3 years ago. He is a good man with a strong personality. Herman is the opposite of a narcissist. My guess is that Palin gets the nomination and picks Cain as her running mate. Then the voters are relieved of the pressure of having to disprove racial guilt by picking smiling Obama, because Obama would not be opposed by an old white guy. Instead, a half black Obama and an old white guy would be opposed by a white woman and a qualified black man. Hmmm.

Putting aside the fact that Americans, who love fast-food more than life itself, never heard of the pizza chain Cain bought out and ran, governing well requires some major political skills. You can't just tell Congress what to do, and you don't even have that much control over the administrative agencies. Cain's business experience is great, but you need a lot more than that to be successful as a governor or President.

But it would be a very entertaining general election. I would certainly take Cain over Palin and Bachmann.

It's true about quitters. But the rest is ridiculous. Her kids names really are not all that weird and Americans practically fetishize anti-intellectuals.

Granted, the people who like to think of themselves as among the intellectual elite tend to look down on anyone they can get away with looking down on, and there is a certain constituency of people who want government to take care of them and need to believe that those trusted to run their lives really are smarter than everyone else.

But by and large those people are in the minority. The majority of people think that it's better to be wise than educated, better to be smart than full of yourself. The majority of people don't care about credentials in the least, they care about skill.

We don't believe in discriminating against someone because of where they came from, and that's what this is.

Sneer, sneer, sneer, "she went to the University of Idaho," sneer, sneer - simply means that every person who ever went to a State school just sat up and said, WTF?

Did Bush say "Mission Accomplished" while standing on a ship off the coast of Iraq?

Nope, never happened - it's a lie that's spread by the Left (like Sarah "quit" or - compared to Katie Fucking Couric - is "stupid") but, fortunately, if you're engaged with reality, it's a lie that only makes the tellers look stupid and/or like the underhanded liars they are.

Under normal circumstances, elections have a way of engaging us with reality. I think the liars (from the last unusual election) will be exposed for what they are, because Sarah Palin refuses to allow them to define her, or what they've done to her.

We are currently living in a Leftist hall of mirrors, where the truth is ridiculed as a lie, and people have supposedly said words they never uttered. (Like "Mission Accomplished" or even "Valarie Plame")

We'll find our way out once the "crazy" lady with the bag of rocks starts flinging them for all she's worth.

Lem, I can't remember the last time this country was being run by a president whose only problem with the number "trillion" was that there weren't enough numbers in front of it. Things are different this time around...

I don't think Palin can win and I am not all that impressed with her anyway.

I used to just love Palin. I did the facebook thing and everything, but over time all I saw was Palin playing to friendly crowds who really did not expect her to do anything but say crappy things about Obama..well hell..I say obnoxious things about Obama every day, that does not mean I should be president of the United States.

Her negatives are higher now than they were when she quit as Governor..I know why she quit and I am not saying that she did not do the right thing for her family and herself...but most Americans stopped thinking of her as a serious candidate right then and there. That is just a fact.

And since then she has not managed to turn that around. But she has managed to make a lot of money. In 2010 her picks did not do all that well..and one of them Rand Paul just voted with the Democrats and Olympia Snowe against Ryan's medicare plan. I am just not that impressed anymore.

So why does Althouse feature the slanted anti-Palin article from the UK Guardian instead of the RealClearPolitics story upon which the Guardian based its screed.

"... Sarah Palin's last chance to re-establish herself as a viable presidency candidate ahead of the 2012 US elections in the wake of a disastrous PR run. A new film commissioned by Palin, the former governor of Alaska, will present her as a Joan of Arc-like figure ..."

I must have missed the "disastrous PR run." Maybe it was that speech she gave at the Capitol in Madison? Joan-of-Arc-like? Did Ben Child of the Guardian see the film? I very much doubt it.

"Crack - Americans hate quitters. Also they look down on anti-intellectual types like Sarah Palin. My god did you see what she named her kids?"

Wow. Really? Quitter, anti-intellectual, kids names not John or Jane...

Contrast your case elements and hold those against the nonexistent/scrubbed record of the Zero, the plagiarist nincompoop Biden, the nepotist dynasty Kennedys, I could go on and on...seems at the very least if we entertain your points that she's in pretty good company.

The only 'negative' she apparently has is that she hasn't gone away like the MSM and other 'conventional thinkers' want her to. She's got more balls than any of the dem-henpecked Rino's in DC. Her opinion, views, etc are no less valid than your or anyone else's.

one of them Rand Paul just voted with the Democrats and Olympia Snowe against Ryan's medicare plan

Rand Paul voted against the budget, as he had said he would all along, because it contained too much deficit spending and not enough spending cuts. Medicare had nothing to do with it.

I guess you could argue that he was letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, except that the budget had no chance in hell of ever being enacted anyway. So why not vote the way he promised to vote -- against bigger deficits and bloated government spending?

As for Herman Cain, he's got more on his resume than just a pizza chain. - business analyst for Coca-Cola- vp at Pillsbury- took a Burger King region from least to most profitable in 3 yrs- CEO of Godfathers Pizza- CEO of the National Restaurant Associationetc

"Commissioned by" may not be accurate. Something similar may have been her idea, but the film maker apparently (yes, I know you all read the same blogs as I do already) said he'd do a full length documentary and pay for it if he had creative control. Palin agreed.

Cain has actually been on the frontline. He gew up a poor, ended up with a graduate degree in computer science, worked for the Department of Defense, was a computer analyst, went into business, became a VP with a very large company, subsequently revitalized a couple of troubled national food chains. He has run businesses, dealt with federal regulations, met payrolls, and had to develop solutions to real life problems.

He was president of the Kansas City Federal Reserve (one of the twelve regional Federal Reseve Banks)in the 90s. (From what I have heard the KC Fed is quite conservative and not in love with irresponsible behavior.)

He also went head to head with President Clinton over Hillarycare, crunching the numbers personally for the president (who then rejected them of course, stupid businessman that Cain was).

So he isn't just some guy who goes to Harvard thinking "Hey, I can be president!" Or some wannabe with delusions of grandeur.

For one, he has life skills our present POTUS has no clue about.

He is one of those who along the way made "an honest living." ;-)

Don't know who I'll go with, but Americans are tired of elite know-and-do nothings telling us how we have to to live.

It will be interesting to see how Palin's movie presents her. There is a lot more depth to her than the liberal media would want you to know about. (And AIPAC people need to know she's a fan of Israel.)

Look around! And witness the disaster we are faced with...all, courtesy of 'Hahvahd' pseudo-intellectuals infused with their double lattes' and weekends in the Hamptons.

I laughed and my ass off at the utter lameness of the Ryan ad, he shown pushing a senior out of a wheelchair and off a cliff. What a bunch of clowns that put that together! Don't you know that those responsible for that ad are basically saying how utterly STUPID Americans are that would ACTUALLY BELIVE THAT FAIRY TALE!!!!

Wake the hell up! What would be more believable would be this: picture a young couple, both pressed against the observation glass in a maternity ward looking at their newborn...see the sleeping child, and pan down towards the child's feet...where a toe tag is visible that says 'INVOICE', US GOVERNMENT _ PAY THE SUM OF $125,000.

The repubs need to play hardball like this if they intend to compete with the lying leftists.

How many people do you know with that kind of resume. He's definitely an elite guy. I mean that as a compliment to him.

I just don't think President should be the first elective office anyone holds. Can't he become governor of Georgia first? Governing is tough. A lot of times, great success in other things doesn't mean you'll be good at it.

I don't think Palin can win and I am not all that impressed with her anyway.

Fair enough. You're wrong, but I accept the view.

I used to just love Palin. I did the facebook thing and everything, but over time all I saw was Palin playing to friendly crowds who really did not expect her to do anything but say crappy things about Obama..

So you acknowledge she's got political support - and it's from everyday Americans.

hell..I say obnoxious things about Obama every day, that does not mean I should be president of the United States.

You're not our candidate, either. But, if you were, going after the oppo would be the thing to do, no?

Her negatives are higher now than they were when she quit as Governor..

Irrelevant. They're based on lies - lies can be exposed.

I know why she quit and I am not saying that she did not do the right thing for her family and herself...

Voila!

but most Americans stopped thinking of her as a serious candidate right then and there. That is just a fact.

Again - so? Are we all trapped in prehistoric amber or something?

since then she has not managed to turn that around.

This is the conventional thinking part. Has she tried? If so, I haven't seen it. You're penalizing her because she's not playing the game you're expecting of her. (In other words, she's being smarter than you are.) Everything will be addressed, but on her terms, not yours or the media's.

she has managed to make a lot of money.

Gotta have that to make a run for office - which many have said she'd never do because, um, they said so.

In 2010 her picks did not do all that well..

But well enough she's earned the title of queen-maker.

one of them Rand Paul just voted with the Democrats and Olympia Snowe against Ryan's medicare plan.

She got him elected - which you just claimed she didn't do "that well" at - and now what? You're assuming she's his dictator?

I am just not that impressed anymore.

You also aren't thinking clearly, if these are the points you're judging her by:

I'm with Terrye. Love Palin's trenchant criticism of Obama, agree overall with the policy stands she's taken in the past few years, used to like her (as a public figure/ person) quite a lot. But now I definitely have Palin fatigue… even a little aversion. Maybe the aversion isn't for Palin per se, but the idea of her as the GOP presidential candidate.

In the past it would've been easy to blame the MSM for this. But after her family's multiple enthusiastic forays into reality TV-- I find that she kinda turns me off.

More importantly, living through the ongoing debacle that is O's administration, I find myself dearly wishing, please god, please, let our next president have more than a modicum of substance, competence, experience, prudence, wisdom, and presidential decorum. I don't know that Palin has enough of any of those things-- even if she's apparently in sync with me ideologically. I still admire her chutzpah (among other qualities)… but I find that now I have to force myself to like her. That wasn't the case before.

Maybe it's because the political landscape has changed. When Palin was virtually the only high-profile political figure who was unapologetically tough on Obama, unintimidated by MSM mud-slinging, bullshit "civility" clucking, and racerism, I cheered for her, forgiving her flaws. Now that a Tea-infused GOP seems to have acquired something of a backbone, not as prone to cringe before MSM/Dem bogus consensus, there are other figures I can credibly admire (e.g. Paul Ryan), so Palin's flaws are more salient to me.

Maybe it's because the stakes are so damn high now for our country (in desperate fiscal straits) and the world as a whole (e.g. epochal shifts in the Middle East, who knows to what end), so the prospect of another 4 years under Obama… fills me with deep deep dread. Palin may be the plucky heroine going against a full-on MSM onslaught, but if she's nominated and can't win the general election (an election I believe is winnable by the GOP), she's toxic to me.

On the other hand, to the extent that Palin's example has inspired & continues to inspire viable GOP candidates to be less squishy and more like her (Pawlenty, for example, has launched a surprisingly ballsy campaign, and today's waggish twitter was very Palinesque), I say, bravissima! Thank you, Sarah, from the bottom of my heart.

- most Americans stopped thinking of her as a serious candidate - Are we all trapped in prehistoric amber or something?

I used to dislike Palin, even though many of my views aligned with hers. I let myself be duped. I chose to reconsider Palin with an open mind, and a year later, I feel much differently than before. It is *possible* for people to change their views.

But I never HATED Palin.

I only know two people who don't dislike Palin. Most don't just dislike her -- they hate her. They don't just hate her, they find the act of hating her to be emotionally satisfying. I could list her positive accomplishments or point out specific media bias moments, and their response would be to laugh at Palin like a crazy 13 yr old boy kicking a three legged dog in an alley.

Yes, some of those people will never ever ever vote Republican, so they don't matter. But some of them are swing voters who are under Obama's spell. And they enjoy hating Palin. They enjoy hating Palin the way the KKK enjoys hating minorities. I don't know if there's a cure for that kind of hate.

7-34. No, foo, Palin was in Searchlight for the Big Tea Party rally a few years ago, with her pal Breitbart. Plus she's got... Searchlight lips.

Palin's working class schtick is BS, Miss DBQ. While Palin may not be an ivy league intellectual (or intellectual of any sort), she's not so naive and innocent. She and her man are wealthy. She has pulled for the AK oil biz for years as well--from the very start--including BP. She's with the financiers as well. The GOP spinmeisters have succeeded in portraying her as calamity Jane, but she's more like Calamity CEO.

Is there something in Palin's record that leads you to believe she'd be a worthy President?

No, it's in her character that I see a president. The fact that she was the most popular governor in America when McCain picked her - and she thinks about average Americans and not the establishment - tells me all I need to know about her record.

I've never liked Katie Couric, the MSM, etc. Put all that aside.

Can't. The media is part of the problem and they've gone to war with us - she's our champion.

What has Palin done?

What had Obama "done"? What had JFK "done"? Or Clinton or Bush for that matter? (And what are you looking for? Sorry, but there are no real dragons for her to have slain,...) There are only people - real people - and I, for one, want a conservative of good character for our next leader. (Not a flip-flopping Romney or whatever.) The others are alright, but Sarah's the total package.

Does being treated viciously by the media qualify one for President?

No, but defeating their bullshit does. Mark my words: it's not just the economy - we have to get journalism back on track to make this country work - and their attack on Palin was the opening salvo in that battle. What is the media doing attacking any American? Who gave them that job? Since when was lying and extreme bias a part of their description? That Palin, alone, has to fight that battle - against them, and their friends on the liberal side, with hardly a peep from anyone else - is stunning to me.

And the 'quitter' label??? Give me a fricking break! Tell me, TELL ME you NEVER walked away from some kind of a bullshit situation...an asshole boss, a bad marriage, etc. There's no shame in preserving dignity.

If you quit the only relevant job you've ever had after two years and you did it years ago, do you think for a minute that your next prospective employer is going to care how big an a-hole your last boss was?

You could have a sworn deposition from your previous boss stating "there's nothing wrong with this guy, I just fired him because I'm a big jerk". You still aren't getting hired.

Actually, I agree, slightly, that the Couric/Fey/State-run media did Miss Palin dirty. There's something wrong about the endless character attacks and mockery of politicians, especially from high-powered corporate media. But that doesn't make Palin's record any better, or change the fact that's she's a right-wing biblethumper in the pocket of big oil.

I find myself dearly wishing, please god, please, let our next president have more than a modicum of substance, competence, experience, prudence, wisdom, and presidential decorum.

Sorry, but this is the delusional rambling of someone who's watched too many episodes of "The West Wing". No president has EVER fit that profile. (When we only had three TV stations, we were led to think otherwise, but now we know better.) We in America elect human beings, not kings and queens or perfect fictional characters. Pick a good one - not someone you wish/hope/dream will be.

Joanna,

I only know two people who don't dislike Palin. Most don't just dislike her -- they hate her.

Hey - this election is WAR. It's the battle for the soul of our country. The kind of people who will insist that we "don't be a hater" are filled to the brim with it - and insisting we NEVER notice their hypocrisy. Like I said, a hall of mirrors.

I say it's payback time.

Revenant,

If you quit the only relevant job you've ever had after two years and you did it years ago, do you think for a minute that your next prospective employer is going to care how big an a-hole your last boss was?

That's as weak as the "Mission Accomplished" lie. The truth says she did the only thing she could to win. And she had the guts to do it. Why are you going to penalize her for that?

J...Did you just warn us that Palin intends to start a Theocracy with cheap gasolene prices, free bibles and full medical care for the old and the handicapped? Now that is a terrible thought...or maybe not.

Then recently I realized they're all un-electable. Show me a front runner in the GOP and I'll show you Palinization.

Yeah, ok.

Question: who will the media have an easier time vilifying? A Republican candidate who is new on the national stage, or a Republican candidate who has been on the national stage for years and left 70% of swing voters with the impression that she's a lousy choice for President?

Question: who will the media have an easier time vilifying? A Republican candidate who is new on the national stage, or a Republican candidate who has been on the national stage for years and left 70% of swing voters with the impression that she's a lousy choice for President?

And you're willing to accept that? You'll let them play that game with our airwaves? Our country? Our politics?

Like I said, this is WAR and the media's to be defeated as much as Obama and the rest of the Democrats.

"The truth is that most Americans -- including most of the Republicans who claim to support financial and economic conservatism -- want the earth, the moon and the stars handed to them on a silver plate, and they want someone else to pay for it."

I wasn't going to say anything, just reading. But I have to fucking vehemently disagree with this statement. Damn few 'workers', none really, I have ever met that have this attitude. Oh hell, a bunch else too. Just a damn stupid statement is all, and I take exception.

Won't happen since Palin doesn't have a chance in hell. That said, she does appear to have softened up on her preacher-speak. Why 3-4 years ago she was talking about pterodactyls and Moses, like hand in hand! Now it's just some african witches or somethin'.

Question: who will the media have an easier time vilifying? A Republican candidate who is new on the national stage, or a Republican candidate who has been on the national stage for years and left 70% of swing voters with the impression that she's a lousy choice for President?

Option A: Fresh meat. New Material. A target who is less prepared to defend against bullying. A target who, when vilified, will actually legitimize the MSM as non-biased if the target cries "bias!".

Option B: Old Material. Lessons learned from last time. Determined to fight back. Won't enter the fight without a counter-attack plan.

Honestly, I think the vet is lookin' pretty good.--For the record, I think we can talk about who we like or who's got what record, but I think the most important thing really is Who will the media have an easier time vilifying?/Who will have the most success fighting back? That means charisma, determination, quick wits, and a gut of steel. And charisma. And also, charisma.

Don't Tread, agreed re familiarity breeding contempt & not seeking perfection in a candidate. If Palin does decide to enter the race, I intend to keep an open mind. And if she were to win the nomination, I would vote for her over Obama.

But I have to second Joanna's observations re Palin hate-- and it's not just among people who "will never ever ever vote Republican" and "swing voters under Obama's spell," but among swing voters completely disenchanted with & even averse to Obama.

This really came home to me a few days ago, in a casual conversation with my mom. We don't often talk politics, when we do it's only cursory, but it's clear she dislikes Obama and is especially worried and angry about Obamacare. I don't think we'd ever had a conversation about Palin-- no idea what her opinion of Palin was-- but when Palin came up casually in conversation, my mom said something like "ugh, that horrible woman." I'm used to Palin hate among my peers, friends, and acquaintances, articles I read and sites on the internet, but this really shocked me, coming from my mother. Whence did she acquire this strong revulsion? The MSM, no doubt. It's unfair and despicable, but if this impression has become so deeply engrained in so many people (even people who are anti-Obama) that it's felt as visceral revulsion, I don't see how Palin qua general-election candidate can counter it. The phenomenon of Palin-hate (especially among women-- which deeply disappoints me, as a woman) is incomprehensible to me. I wish it wasn't so, alas, but it is.

Crack, agree 100% that what we need going into this election is a WARRIOR. I dearly hope that whoever ends up being the GOP candidate has Palin-size balls. But like it or not, she's been mortally wounded (as a general-election candidate, not as an effective political force) by the MSM. For Palin to go into the general election as GOP candidate, after the non-stop campaign the MSM (and culture at large) has waged against her for 4 years, would be courageous indeed-- the black knight valiantly scoffing "tis but a flesh wound."

IMO. Like I said, I'll keep an open mind. But like Joanna, I've never disliked Palin (on the contrary, was a fan). The problem is the masses of people in the middle, ready willing & able to vote against Obama, who (for no substantial reason based in reality, that I can see or understand) HAAAAAATE her.

Damn few 'workers', none really, I have ever met that have this attitude. Oh hell, a bunch else too. Just a damn stupid statement is all, and I take exception.

Oh? Try suggesting that we eliminate Social Security and Medicare. See how quickly those workers scramble to insist that they are *owed* Social Security and Medicare because they "paid for it". Never mind the fact that they stood by while Congress spent all the payroll tax money and passed the buck to future generations to actually fund Medicare and Social Security. Oh no -- they're owed it, even though it is an objective fact that their bills get paid by people who never promised them a damned thing.

Here's a reality check: you could cut everything out of the budget that isn't Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense, and interest payments; we would still have a major deficit problem ahead of us. How many workers do you know who tell politicians "I want you to raise my taxes, cut my retirement benefits, and slash the military budget, because that's the only way to save ourselves from financial ruin"?

There aren't many. Americans say they want spending cuts, but can't come up with much they're willing to do without. Americans say they'll accept tax increases, but not if it means paying their full share. When push comes to shove, the only thing Americans are willing to do is borrow more money and pray for a miracle.

The only "fresh meat" in the race is Herman Cain. The rest are all people who have been in high-stakes political life (governors, congresscritters, Presidential candidates, etc) even longer than Palin has.

Honestly, a lot of Palin's bad rep derives from mistakes a more seasoned politician would have known better than to make. The disastrous Gibson and Couric interviews, her rambling farewell speech, etc -- these all would have gone a lot better if she had more actual experience under her belt. Honestly, who didn't wince at the bunny-in-the-headlights look she got on her face when Gibson asked her about "the Bush doctrine"? Eesh, any experienced pol knows that if you don't have a good answer for the question you've been asked, you give a good answer to a slightly different question instead. Rhetoric 101.

more power to palin for getting out there and meeting with the folks. if she has decided to run, there is no good reason for her to make it official this early..let the others sift themselves out first. i have always admired her pioneer spirit and her ability to withstand the vile slurs and lies flung in her direction. she certainly has the experience and smarts to be the prez. if she should end up being the candidate, i will enthusiastically support her.all that said, however, there is currently someone else who is mulling over a possible run who i think is considerably more 'qualified' by virtue of his superior knowledge, intelligence,insight,cleverness and wit. the very first time i saw thaddeus mccotter guest on 'red eye' i said, out loud, that that man would make a terrific president. i would relish seeing him participate in the republican debates.. and, should he end up in the position to debate obama, it would be epic.his low-key, grownup persona probably makes his candidacy a longshot but a boy can dream.

Won't happen since Palin doesn't have a chance in hell. That said, she does appear to have softened up on her preacher-speak. Why 3-4 years ago she was talking about pterodactyls and Moses, like hand in hand! Now it's just some african witches or somethin'.

I remember the african witch thing - some fruitloop visiting her church, that libs wanted to tar her with, because,...she was there.

I can't imagine what's wrong with someone like you, J, who will swallow every lie presented to you - without checking it's veracity - and then promote it like you think you're some brilliant inside-knowledge guy. (Mind you, your presentation, such as it is, always undermines the image you're trying to project). You're a buffoon of epic proportions - which we all tell you, repeatedly, throughout each day you've been here - in your own juices.

Revenant,

You can accept gravity or you can rage against the unfairness of gravity. Stepping off a cliff is moronic either way.

The current state of journalism ain't like gravity - it's changed and can be changed again. Jesus, you people can be delusional losers sometimes.

Fred4Pres,

Frankly, I am a Cain man myself (I recognize he is a long shot but I like him), but if Sarah is going to jump in I say what the heck. Go for it.

That's actually how I see it happening:

Palin will get in - the Republican applecart with be upended, and then conservatives will decide IT'S ON! - and the rest is grit and momentum. No one in the race compares to Palin - you know it, I know it, we all know it:

It's hers to lose.

BTW - I like Cain, too, but can't see him as president. Too "rough around the edges".

"You can accept gravity or you can rage against the unfairness of gravity. Stepping off a cliff is moronic either way."

Having base jumped multiple cliffs, I find this statement to be one that has been made by someone who has not the intestinal fortitude to utilize existing technology, existing geology, and a set of balls to test the unfairness of gravity. If you call it moronic, I laugh in your general direction as I tongue the devil.

Have you ever seriously imagined what you would do if you found yourself in her position: capable of being a serious contender for POTUS and capable of winning.

I wouldn't want that job, but passing up the opportunity seems almost blasphemous. It's such a place in history and many less than special persons have done it. It's not like becoming a dictator, a king or an emperor. It's more like winning the lottery - an enormous long shot, but actually withing reach of most of us. It would be hard to pass up, but a drag to win. The job looks like a dreadful way to spend 4 years, but I'm not a people person.

This thread has all but turned me 180 about Palin's candidacy. (Thank you, Crack.) On top of that, I just heard an interview (pundit interviewing pundit) that gave a perspective I'd not fully considered.

The main idea:The Republicans need a strong Republican candidate. Focusing on the 20% independents is the wrong path. Obama can beat a liberal Republican. Obama can beat a moderate Republican. If you focus on that 20%, you'll get a candidate that Obama can easily beat. But, a feisty, fierce, real Conservative that's unafraid to really go after Obama? THAT's the one that will reveal that the emperor's wearing no clothes. THAT's the one that will win in 2012. The stakes are high, and the best chance at winning is to go all in.

Despite the Palin hate and weird women/Palin dynamic, I find this perspective fascinating. And in some weird way, entirely hopeful and emotionally inspiring. Maybe the right word is patriotic.

You win the presidency by demonstrating personal characteristics of grace under fire, optimism, and humor. You build a winning team of your political base who would build a tower to the moon if you asked them to.

The rationally ignorant independents wait until the last minute to decide. More than anything, they want to vote for the winner:

Sarah has a tough problem. To win, there are several states where she will have to nearly sweep the independents to overcome the Demo registration advantage. Remember that two-party candidates are guaranteed their 40% base.

You don't chase the independents. You make them beg to join your winning team. If your base is all fired up and moving heaven and earth, the independents will come around.

Every election is different. What worked last time is a loser this time. Last time BarryO played Game on the electorate. This time, Sarah's coming with Team, an army of Davids. BarryO's a loser at Team, has been all his life.

The current state of journalism ain't like gravity - it's changed and can be changed again. Jesus, you people can be delusional losers sometimes.

If we focus our efforts and are really supportive and give generously of our time and money, we ought to be able balance out the news media just in time for Sarah Palin to drop dead of old age.

But 18 months from now they will still be completely in the tank for Obama and the American public will still think Sarah Palin is an idiot. Her fan club has been screaming from the mountaintops that she's an unappreciated genius for two and a half years and she's less popular than she was when you started.

And don't worry about that Mediscare stuff. It's easily dispatched. Sarah cannot be hurt by it.

We're borrowing a trillion dollars a year from the Chinese. How many more years do you want to do this? C'mon, speak up, don't be shy. How many more years can we do this?

Until the government crashes into outright default? So you really hate granny. Because when default happens, millions of grannys won't be getting their Medicare payments. All at once, and it will be out of control, and it will suck for a long time.

Or, say Paul and Sarah, stop the borrowing now, while we can still control it. Face it people, we are all going to have to be skinflint with our medical choices and make suck-ass decisions. The party is over. We have spent our parent's money, we've spent ours, and we have spent our children's. This borrowing has to stop here, stop now.

But it will be we making the decisions about our own lives, not a Cass Sunstein progressive elite taking care of themselves first, while hanging us out to dry.